What to do in Belfast?

Your guide to Belfast

Northern Ireland’s capital city has so much more to offer than you might expect. Belfast has shrugged off its past troubles and emerged a thriving cultural hub – with world class museums, top notch food and drink and a buzzing live music scene.

The mural-adorned peace walls in West Belfast are a constant reminder of the city’s troubled past. But the newly redeveloped Titanic Quarter, with its superb museum devoted to the tragic passenger liner, brings the city bang up to date. Shop to your heart’s content before settling in at a traditional Irish pub and sampling the local beers. Then head north to take in the famous Giant’s Causeway and mile upon mile of glorious green countryside in the Glens of Antrim.

Belfast attractions

Learn about the construction and tragic demise of the RMS Titanic, at the superb Titanic Belfast. Or peruse a vast array of wondrous exhibits – including dinosaur skeletons and mummies of Egyptian kings – at the Ulster Museum. Visit the notorious Crumlin Road Gaol. Or take in the political murals of Falls Road on a sightseeing tour.

Shopping in Belfast

Shop while enjoying magnificent panoramic views from the elegant dome of Victoria Square. Castle Court also offers nearly 100 stores and an array of eateries under one roof. Sample some of the finest fresh foods available in Belfast, at the historic St George’s Market. For chocoholics, a visit to artisan chocolatier, Co Couture, is a must.

Eating out in Belfast

When it comes to Belfast restaurants, The Merchant Hotel’s Great Room is the cream of the crop… Dine in sumptuous surroundings on fine fusion cuisine. Or for a quintessentially Irish experience, head to the family-run Darcy’s or rustic Molly’s Yard. For top-drawer fish and chips try Mr JD’s New Titanic Restaurant, where memorabilia of the ill-fated liner covers the walls.

Belfast nightlife

Feel as though you’ve stepped back in time at Kelly’s Cellars – a traditional pub largely untouched since the 18th century. Or admire the beautifully-preserved Victorian décor while enjoying a pint of Guinness at the famous Crown Liquor Saloon. Gaze at the magnificent Belfast City Hall over cocktails at The Apartment. Or rub shoulders with celebrities at exclusive underground haunt, Ollie’s.